This Fragile Game
by xintothefire
Summary: A not so classic story of boy meets girl. Boy has a dangerous past, while girl is currently running from one. Together, they will teach each other a thing or two about life, love, and moving on.  Eli x OC
1. Castle Walls

The past is a very ironic concept.

It is one of the only things that is capable of mentally, as well as physically weighing you down. Therapist after therapist, I had slowly grown to learn to adapt to my future, and forget every mistake I had made previously in my very short-lived life. They had all told me the same thing repeatedly, "The past does not defy you, it is the future, which truly distinguishes your strength."

See, that s where I think therapist's have it so, completely [I]wrong[/I]. If they honestly knew a thing or two about the life of a teenager, they'd realize mistakes aren't always so easy to forget and move on from. Especially when you're forced into relishing them every time you close your eyes to succumb to sleep. It's a shame there isn't a college course called, "reality".

Lets take a step backwards, shall we?

I'm Kaileigh Rowen, current heir and daughter of the Rowen embassy, which is also widely known for being accompanied by the Coyne family. My Mother, Catherine, was the sister of Laura Rowen, now recognized as Laura Coyne.

The past, everything I can't seem to get off of my mind for three seconds, is what caused me to live with my cousin Fiona in the quaint town of Toronto, Canada. Which also means I was forced to enroll in the local community school to live as simply as I could until I turned eighteen and got the hell out of there.

Me, being the curious little devil I am, had done my research the moment I heard the news. The first website I had scrolled my curser over, had been a website called the anti-grapevine, which to my knowledge was a blogspot that was infamous for bashing and dishing practically every student enrolled. Seemed like a collective Formspring to me. The next two were online news articles; one about a shooting, the other about a false stabbing. I felt my eyes widen slightly at those two. Where the hell was I being sent off to?

* * *

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" I subtly felt a mass shift the king size bad and pull my cocoon of blankets away from my sleeping form. A groan escaped my lips as my warmth was stolen viciously.

"Fifi... why so early?" I mumbled, my small hands attempting to grab the vintage print comforter back.

"Ah ah, ah, it's... seven o'clock. School starts in an hour and a half. Don't want to be fashionably late on your first day of grade 11, do you?" I opened my dark iris s and sighed, watching as she glimpsed through my dresser for what I assumed would be a good first day outfit. Apparently they had just lifted a short-term dress code, and Fi was dying to express her happiness.

"I'm up, I'm up." Rubbing the sleep away from my eyes with the palms of my hands, I sighed softly and mentally shooed her out. I loved her to death, but when sleep was needed, she was much of a joy kill. My lengthy, brunette hair cascaded messily down my back as I stood up, padding barefoot to the bathroom. After letting the hot water run out from the shower nozzle, I wrapped a fluffy white towel around my body and wiped the mirror with another. My body was red and sore from the heat, and I hissed as I pressed my fingertips across my skin. Glancing up at the mirror once more, I fought to urge to sneak out the window and run far away from here. I realized that that hadn't done me much in the past, and it would ve do any good now. This was my last chance.

Although I prefer not to, I was rushed so I yanked out my blow dryer from the cabinet, and started on my hair. Once curling it in large, imperfect dark curls, I applied a thin coat of foundation, charcoal eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and bronzer. I sprayed a few squirts of Betsy Johnson to my pulse points, and figured I would see what exactly it was Fi had picked out for me to wear. My body lagged as I dragged my feet into the bedroom once more.

It actually wasn't to flamboyant, and I half-smiled in satisfaction, pulling on the slightly ripped skinny jeans and throwing my binder into my messenger bag. I should've known she would've chosen heals, but the beige ankle boots weren't too awful. At least I'd be able to manage to walk in them, unlike the other collection of heals that took up our joint closet.

Making sure my Monroe and belly ring was in place, I grabbed my bag with one hand and threw it across my shoulder, while running the other through my hair. Old habits die hard.

Fiona looked up at me from the kitchen island and grinned warmly, tossing me a granola bar. "Already called the cab, should be here in 5 minutes." I raised an arched eyebrow and smirked.

"Quite prepared, are we?"

Hopping up to take a seat upon the granite counters, I watched with approving eyes as she laughed softly and balanced a blue water bottle between her hands. Her blue eyes sparkled, a small blush creeping across her pale cheeks.

"Would a certain booooy have anything to do with this?" I dragged out the O, crossing my arms across my chest teasingly, sending her a sideways glance.

"N-no. I just want you to be well prepared for your first day at Degrassi." She didn't seem to think I noticed her stammer quietly at the beginning, but I did. Fi was never shy. Period.

"Well, whoever he is, he must be special if you've got your eye set on him, Ms. Coyne."

Just as she opened her mouth to reply shyly, the cab honked outside and her eyes sparkled one more. "You ready?"

My smile faltered. Why on earth was I nervous? I hadn't the slightest care in the world about the ignorant teenagers at a public school; if they judged me, I shouldn't be concerned.

I had to remind myself how to breathe.

"IS that a real question?"

* * *

My schedule was nothing out of the ordinary; Grade 11 English, Calculus (I had been far advanced in my private studies when to came to math), Chemistry, and History. The electives I had chosen weeks before were Creative Writing, Photography, and Digital Media. I was excited for the photography course; it has always been a passion of mine. When I was little, it started out as candids of my parents and family, but as I progressed and improved, I had actually placed in a few local competitions around the New York area.

Graciously, Holly J had helped me find my locker and took me on a quick tour of the campus. I had a difficult time keeping up with her as she expertise made her way through the mass of students. Although Declan had skyped me countless of depressed and Holly-deprived video messages, I still seemed fond of her. Unlike half of the fake tramps my cousin brought around, she was civilized and independent.

"Anything else?"

I pulled myself from my inward banter and blinked repeatedly, slightly dumbfound. Somehow, she found this quite funny.

"No. I think I'm good."

Doubting this, she gave me my schedule back, and took a pen out of her purse. Confused, I watched as she traced in blue ballpoint the easiest ways to get to class on a map of Degrassi.

"Thanks, Holly J." I was relieved, and my voice proved that.

"No problem. If you have any problems, feel free to run to the office and they should help you there. Either that or go straight to Simpson."

I nodded, taking it in and smiling as she eyed me carefully, before turning on her heal and walking away.

The clock nearest read 8:17.

13 minutes to kill. Clicking my tongue, I turned sharply, fumbling with my new locker number. According to Fiona, it was located near the English wing. Simple enough, English was my first period. My dark hair tumbled behind me as my heals clicked along the blue and yellow linoleum tiles. I could vaguely feel a few stares, some from ill-mannered boys with their traps wide agape, others from girls with a slightly curious, slightly annoyed look in their eye. Either way, I shrugged it off.

I didn't like people.

Pulling my Ipod from my bag, I slipped the ear phones into my ears, letting The Maine distract me everything else. Did this school not see to new students very often? I felt like a guinea pig. The volume was nearly max as I finally found my locker; 215.

Once I figured out my combination, (though it took me several tries) I found that it was bare, and I had plans to change that very soon. With a delicate bite of my bottom lip, a small lock of hair fell in my face, and I swiped softly to tuck it behind my ear. Knowing that math, chem, and history weren't until after first period, I took them out of my book bag and slid the heavy textbooks into the top shelf.

The music was so loud that I hadn't noticed any of my surroundings whatsoever. If I would've, I would've noticed the heavy gaze of brilliant emerald eyes boring into my back. If I would've, I would've noticed a very upset auburn-curled girl with sad eyes, watching the transaction. If I would've, I would've noticed the beginning of a very difficult story.

* * *

**A/N: First Degrassi story, whoooop. :3**

**I'm excited; are you excited? You should be excited. xD**


	2. Illuminated

First period ran bleakly slow, along with second and third. The teachers, for the most part, were persistently the same. They all had this fantastic little trick down; each of them had the ability to make you feel entirely ignorant, while doing it with a smile. But then again, maybe that was just the perks of public school. The students were just as typically the same, much to my major disappointment. The girls were either bitchy, or too shy to speak for themselves, while the guys were all douche bags.

To my surprise, fourth period actually excited me. I walked into photography class, a small smile tugging the corners of my lips upwards. Mrs. Dawes was the teacher, and I let out a breath of relief.

"Good to see you again Ms. Rowen!"  
I grinned at her and took a seat somewhat in the middle of the room. There were no desks, just chairs sporadically placed, along with black and white portraits lining the walls. I took the time to let my gaze linger upon certain ones that popped out to me.

Though I was one of the first students to come into the class, I didn't mind.

She took a seat across from me, a warm smile upon her face. "How s the first day going? I know it can be a little rough being new at times..." She trailed off, her head tilting.

I portrayed a smile to match hers, though I wasn't quite sure if it was too convincing. "It's been good so far. Pretty quiet, I haven't really met too many people yet, but good nevertheless." I sugarcoated, my voice a few octaves higher than it should have been as the lies slipped through my lips too easily.

"Hang in there. I'm sure things will look up soon."

I nodded honestly, hoping to hear some truth in her words. She had a motherly aura about her that I wouldn't dare be sarcastic with.

The bell rang signaling the end of passing time, and until then I hadn't realized that the class had filled up considerably. A few stragglers slipped through the door, hoping not to be caught, and Mrs. Dawes shoed them in quickly.

I had been studying my Nixon in my hands carefully, watching as my crimson nail polish glimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the window.

"For those who entered this class for an easy A, you're going to be sadly mistaken throughout this course."

An involuntary smile tugged at my lips once more upon hearing the few groans omitted through the small room.

My hazel eyes danced upwards, to take in the students who had done so. The moment they did, they crashed head first into a pair of shining green hues. They watched me with pure curiosity, definitely far from the hungry gazes from the football team I had received hours prior. I studied them back just as intently, truly taken back. I watched as the owner's eyebrows furrowed slightly. I hadn't realized I had mirrored his actions until a devious smirk was sent to me, along with a shake of his head as those brilliant emeralds downcasted. I shook my head too, realizing for a moment that I had forgotten to breathe.

A rare blush crept along the high cheekbones of my face, while I tucked a strand of raven hair behind my ear, laughing quietly to myself.

"Your first projects of the new semester are team efforts," she paused to hand around a lime green colored flyer to groups of two. "perfect." she murmured to herself happily, and I looked up to see what she was talking about. There was an even amount of students enrolled in the class. "Goldsworthy, Rowen, you two will form our final group." Before I knew what was happening, the assignment was placed in my hands, and the dark haired boys' devious smirk revisited.

Shit, here comes that blush.

"On the page, you will see a variety of options for your project." she continued, and the classroom was full of silent resentment for not getting to chose their partners. Photography was my strong point, so I found whoever I got paired with irrelevant. "By the end of this semester, you will have finished every objective on this page, so the order you chose to do so doesn t matter so much, it's all up to preference."

I allowed my eyes to skim the list, smiling across a few. Most were simple, but I liked the idea of a different concept every couple weeks.

"The first project is a mandatory one though, meaning no exceptions." she pointed a finger around the classroom at a few boys who you could already tell weren't to pleased from her first little speech about the lack of easy As she'd give out. She pointed to the fifth line down, and my eyes eagerly scanned to find to assignment.

Candid of you partner.

I hadn't even noticed Goldsworthy had moved next to me, until his fingers brushed against mine in attempt to get a clearer view of the objective. I cleared my throat a little at the sudden contact, and handed him the paper, my knee grazing against his as I situated in my chair.

The moment she had let us have the class to ourselves, he turned to me, his face skewed into an mixture of confusion and horror.

"What?" I croaked out,

"Candid would mean...?"

I practically lost it. It was a full fledged laugh, to the point where my eyes were watering. I realized I should begin to reign it in the moment I saw the offense flash against his face. I pulled myself together and offered him a softer expression.

"A candid photograph is like... a photograph of something or someone that is caught of guard. A photograph that is natural." His eyebrows slowly eased apart as I explained. "Make sense?"

He scratched the back of his neck and nodded, slightly embarrassed.

I watched him wearily, my dark eyes squinting. "I'm assuming this class wasn't first on your elective choices?"

"You guessed right." His voice was enlaced with slight guilt, and I couldn't help but laugh softly.

"You know, I never really got your name. Unless we're on a last name basis for the entire semester."

I crossed my legs underneath me and pursed my lips. "I would say that would do. But your last name is a little too long..."

"Eli." he finished for me, offering his hand.

"Eli." I repeated, shaking it smoothly. His palm was calloused against mine, and in comparison looked quite large.

He rose an eyebrow, awaiting me to share mine as well. When I didn't automatically, he smirked and dropped his hands on his knees, his eyes wide with humor.

"What, do most city girls in New York not have first names?"

My eyes squinted again, and I grinned. "How did you know I was from New York?"

He looked caught. "My friend Adam is close with Fiona, she hasn't shut up about you in weeks..."

"So Adam is his name." I clicked my tongue, ready to text her and give her hell about it.

"Yes.. but I'm still waiting to get yours."

I tilted my head in mockery. "Meet me after school at Fi's place. We can walk around town, maybe you can show me around?"

He looked like he had to declined, and my brain on impulse urged me to backtrack. Who was I to assume...

"I don't..." he began, but I cut him off.

"To get this project done." I clarified, with a twang of confidence that I was surprised he even bought. "I mean, by the looks of your camera knowledge... or lack there of, this project could take a while."

"Oh! yeah. I think that could be arranged." Thankfully, he looked almost as stupid as I felt for assuming.

I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder just as the bell rang. "Meet me at Fi's around... say 3:30?"

He nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Looking over my shoulder, I sent a smirk his way. "Later, Eli."

He grinned in response, his witty reply making me laugh softly to myself as I exited the classroom and continued down the hallway, a mass of students cluttering the once clear halls.

"Later, mysterious."


	3. Rubik's Cube

For the reminder of the day, I remained blatantly surprised at my interest in some of my classes. Most of the electives I had signed up for turned out to be quite intriguing, and I was particular excited for my creative writing term.

I had ran into Mr. Simpson a few times as needed from my personal records, and was pleased to learn he never once looked at me strangely for acknowledging my past. I had to keep my grades up to at least a C average, which was more than do able, and he was more than enthralled to let me know I had been signed up for a position in student council to keep me well focused. I had to resist rolling my eyes at this effort, but shrugged it off.

At lunch, I sat with Fi and the tall sweetheart named Adam. He was beyond welcoming, and I knew from the start he was the one Fiona was so jumbled over. I watched as he nodded across the caf to Eli, who was partnered with a rather innocent looking, light haired girl. When I looked over my shoulder at the interaction, Eli smiled in my direction as well, and I returned the offering.

I hadn't even realized how quickly the day passed until the final bell rang.

"Don't hate me."

I peeked up from my locker, where I was currently grabbing my Calc book, and casted her a strange look.

"Why would I hate you?"

"I'm meeting Adam after school at the dot... he told me to invite you! And you're totally welcome to come, I just figured you'd want to go home after being stressed all day-"

A small laugh escaped my lips as I grabbed my history book and stacked it in my arms along with the other. Ah, the clich twist of the third wheel.

"Breathe, Fiona."

I could literally hear her exhale.

"No worries. I have a project to work on, and Simpson insisted I help Sav brainstorm ideas for the welcome back dance... really, go."

She leaned in and kissed my cheek, smiling brilliantly. "I owe you, Kai."

"I'll put it on your tab." I teased, watching as Adam rounded the corner and spotted us. "Here comes your prince," I added, my voice a soft murmur. Her blue iris's brightened visibly.

A gaggle of spirit squad girls crowded the hallway, walking in an annoying mob as they made way to the gym. Adam rolled his eyes while we watched him wait for them to pass, seemingly taking a century, before finishing his walk over. "If you ever join the spirit squad, I might just have to murder myself." he grumbled quietly, earning a snicker from Fiona. He leaned down and rested his chin on her shoulder, nodding at me with a smile. "How's Degrassi life treating you?"

"Could be worse,"

I paused as a group of guys passed us. One of which was in my History class so I figured that they weren't too much older. The tallest in the middle made eye contact with me and elbowed the one to his right in the gut, causing him to look over as well. If it couldn't get an more embarrassing on his part, he gave a slight nod of his head, along with a whistle that wasn't too far from a cat call.

"What am I, some sort of dog?" I didn't hesitate holding my voice to a reasonable volume, making Adam's eyes bulge just a bit. Mine were squinted into slits.

"Bitch has got a mouth." The one on the left grumbled, making me slam the door to my locker shut. Knowing I couldn't get into any trouble, and it was my first day, I figured to keep my mouth currently shut, not even wasting my breath.

"Could be worse?" Adam offered as the were finally out of sight, causing me to huff and chuckle to myself.

"Not much."

"Well. Try not to get that sarcasm of yours into any altercations, okay?" Fiona laughed, and I absentmindedly nodded.

"I'll do the best I can."

Her eyes widened and she looked down at me, biting her lip sensitively, as if just remembering something. "Shoot. I forgot to call a cab to pick you up." The apartment was on the other side of town, and my books were already killing my arms.

"I'll just call now." I shrugged, figuring it wasn't too late.

"Except the fact that Pronto cab is anything but pronto, and it'd take at least half an hour to even get here."

I measured my options, knowing I really didn't have any.

"Then I'll walk. Not a big deal." My arms screamed otherwise, but she hesitantly nodded. It was clear she really wanted to go with Adam, so I wasn't going to burden her.

"You sure?"

"Go. Really. It shouldn't be too long of a walk." Lies. But they were all irrelevant.

"You're a saint!" She declared, her voice displaying a weight being tossed off her delicate shoulders. I had to snort at that though. Saintly was not a word used to describe me often, if at all.

"Thanks, Kai." Adam added sincerely, bumping his fist against mine and slinging his other arm around Fi, pulling her close. I snuck a glance at my Ipod as I turned it on, checking for the current time as they walked away, murmuring quietly to themselves like the bundle of overload cuteness that they were.

2:31.

Shit. Eli. An hour was clearly not enough time to get home, unless I booked it the entire way, which was impossible in the heels she had chosen. Hoisting my bag up on my shoulder further, I threw in my headphones and made way towards the large glass doors at the entrance of the school. The music was more mellow than it had been the rest the day as I continued my walk home, weaving through parks and community lots as shortcuts.

At one point I had to stop to shake out the ache burning in my arms. My books were settled along a picnic bench with an audible thump as I sat down and allowed my head to fall into my hands, the sense of depression overwhelming my body. The bottle of pills were buried deep within my purse, untouched much to my doctors knowledge. I hated having to be prescribed something for being mentally unstable. I hated that people believe I was crazy. Even if I was, which wasn t doubtful, it shouldn't be other people's burdens to know such things. I could handle it.

Raising my head, I spotted a deer scurry out of my peripheral vision. It stopped as I turned my head leisurely, and it hid itself within the evergreen as if I couldn't see it. Silently, I grabbed my camera from one my bag and turned it on, cursing it for not going any faster than it did. The small animal continued at a standstill, and I slowly raised the camera to my focus, letting the lens focus in on the sight. The small sound omitted from the camera sent to deer into a sort of frenzy as it scattered away. I almost felt bad, but as soon as I glanced at the photograph I smile in contentment. It was beautiful.

The sun was heavy as it beat down, causing the autumn air to surround me in discomfort. I was finally in the parking lot when I dug my keys out of my pocket. There was a strange hearse in the spot below our loft, but I ignored it. Death wasn't a thing that fazed me much.

Once I finally reached our apartment after taking the elevator, I graciously jogged to the door, feeling as though I had just ran a marathon.

The ways I would kill for a bottle of water.

The moment I slipped my key into the keyhole it clicked, signaling it was already unlocked. I automatically took it lightly, knowing Fiona was a bit forgetful. My feet were aching more than usual as I stumbled in, throwing all of my bags and books onto the wrap around couch, rolling my shoulders and wincing at the pain that came as a product.

"Last time I walk across town." I grumbled, kicking off my heels with ease and walking into the kitchen. Fiona's mother was a God when it came to decorating. The kitchen was huge, with cherry wood cabinets and the entire nine yards. Though I was pretty terrible at it, I had always adored cooking so it was easily one of my favorite parts of the loft.

My shirt lifted, softly grazing the skin of my torso as I raised on my tip toes to grab a glass from the top shelf, my thirst unbearable. The dryness of my mouth vanished the moment I heard footsteps coming from the hallway. All body movements stilled. My joints felt alight as I quietly padded barefoot to the end of the hall, looking down towards where the bedrooms were. All key parts to kicking ass were thrown out the window as I literally felt paralyzed. The footsteps continued, and I was careful to make my movements discreet, pushing myself down the hall towards the sound.

Of course they would be coming from my fucking room.

The door was ajar, and I pushed it open with my fingertips, groaning inwardly when it squealed in protest. Stupidly, I made my way to the center of the room, feeling rather paranoid at finding nothing unusual or out of the ordinary.

"I would of never assumed you played guitar-"

My heart took off and a scream escaped my lips. Out of instinct I jumped around, covering my chest with my right hand in fear. I was positive my dark eyes resembled the deer I caught earlier. It must've been God teasing me.

The man followed my movements, dropping my guitar out of horror with a loud clang.

"ELI?" I screamed, smacking him hard across the bicep.

"JESUS CHRIST! The door was unlocked! I figure you were already home!"

"So you decide to snoop in my room?"

He was silent for a moment, as if wondering what I had to hide.

"You fucking scared me, you moron!" I added once I realized he wasn't going to reply.

"Sorry!" he defended quickly, aiding his injured arm with his opposite hand. I rolled my arms and moved his hand away, watching as a nasty looking red blotch spread from the area. I almost felt bad. Almost.

His eyes were watching me unsurely.

"I'm not going to hit you again, if that s what you're wondering." I murmured, snatching up the guitar and leaning it against the cranberry colored wall. Surprisingly, there were no broken strings or dents.

"So you play guitar," he mused, walking around my room as if inspecting it. I watched warily, crossing my arms across my chest, not in the mood for mind games though he was amusing me. "and drums?" he held up a pair of drumsticks, as if asking for an answer. When I didn't reply, he continued. "You are a sucker for music," he nodded towards my record collection, looking impressed, "road trips?" his hands brushed a stack of postcards along my desk, "and astronomy." motioning to my telescope my the bay window. "You must be good at photography, because you, Ms. Rowen, have placed in several contests." It was strange being told my life story by a boy who knew nothing about me. "and you have quite an obsession with books." He ran a finger along the spines of my bookcase.

"Are you done analyzing me yet, Goldsworthy?" My head cocked to the side.

"Almost." He smirked, making me roll my eyes.

"God, you're annoying." I had enough of his little tricks, and made my way back to the kitchen, my perched throat screaming at me.

He chuckled and nodded, as if being told this more than once, but followed me anyway.

"You still haven't told me your name."

"What makes you think I should?"

My hands danced to a vitamin water in the fridge, and I opened it without a second thought, taking a large drink. He placed his palms against the granite surface of the counter, seemingly making himself right at home. He had obviously been here before. I tossed him a bottle as well, and he caught it impressively.

"I was really wishing you'd miss and I'd hit you in the head." I mumbled, knowing all too well he had heard. An exasperated sigh escaped him.

"Kaileigh."

"What?" He really was that slow.

"My name," I paused, smiling faintly in his direction. "I'm Kaileigh."

"It suits you."

My eyebrows rose apprehensively. He quickly backtracked.

"You don't look like a Jessica or a Brittany."

"Thanks?" I pursed my lips and lowered just one eyebrow, leaving the other arched.

"It was a compliment." he encouraged.

"Well then, thank you."

"You're welcome."

We spent more than enough time just staring at each other, and I broke the gaze before it grew too awkward and cleared my throat. "I've been walking for quite some time, and to be honest I'm pretty tired to start that project."

He looked briefly disappointed.

"But I'm starving and I was just going to order a pizza for when Fi and Adam get back. Feel like sticking around?" It wasn't like we were friends, so I'm sure I took him a bit off guard.

"You stalked my room and figured out a lot of my personal life. At least let me stick around and pick your brain."

When he laughed and shook his head, a few strands of raven hair fell into his emerald eyes. "Do I have much of a choice?"

"Absolutely not." It was my turn to laugh. I found myself laughing much more lately than I had in so long.

* * *

_**AN;**_ Hate? Adore? Review? ;)

Mr. Goldsworthy is quiet dashing, isn't he?


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